"Colin is a tough, veteran defenceman with two Stanley Cups on his resume," Wilson said. "He plays a physical style of hockey and is an excellent penalty killer who is known for his strong leadership qualities. You can never have enough quality defencemen."

White had 109 hits in 69 games last season and played nearly three minutes per game short-handed. He had no goals and six assists.

White has scored just 20 goals in 743 career games with New Jersey, but he adds another physical player who is strong on the penalty kill. The Sharks ranked 24th in the league on the penalty kill last season and upgrading that unit was a priority this summer.

White also comes with championship experience, having helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2000 and again in 2003. He has played 111 career post-season games.

"I'm not going to have to go in and do anything special," he said. "I'll just come in and play my game, help them on the penalty kill and complement the veteran group that is already there. ... I think they're a great blue-line. The teams that I was on that were Stanley Cup teams, we had a big defence that was a physical presence back there. I see a lot of similarities."